A track assembly for tanks and similar track laying vehicles includes tracks made of individual track units linked together in a closed loop. The vehicle has sets of road wheels that roll over the section of track lying on the ground at a given time. Track units typically have upper pads engaging the road wheel and lower pads engaging the ground, while the road wheels have solid tires engaging the track units. The upper pads, lower pads and tires are all bodies made of rubber and are subjected to severe compression and sheer forces as the vehicle travels. Due to these forces, the rubber bodies undergo rapid elastic deformations, whereby internal friction within the bodies contributes to heat build up therein. Especially during high speed vehicle travel, the heat is often sufficient to blister and crack the rubber bodies, thereby causing their premature failure.
My invention is an improved structure for the rubber bodies that retards production of heat by internal friction and speeds heat dissipation from the bodies. My invention comprises a rubber body having an array of metallic inserts recessed therein, the inserts compressing the body before it is under load from the i vehicle. The inserts are configured to enhance heat flow from within the bodies not only to air adjacent the body but also to the metal of a track unit or road wheel adjacent the body.